 "Disney Hotstar")
Disney+ Hotstar viewership hit a new record on Saturday as 35 million viewers were glued to the over-the-top (OTT) platform to watch India take on Pakistan in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
It beat JioCinema’s record of 32 million viewers who had logged in to watch the Indian Premier League final this year between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.
“As the cricketing rivalries continue, we’ll continue to honour our commitment towards delivering an unmatched viewing experience to all our users. We look forward to many more such experiences as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup unfolds,” Sajith Sivanandan, head, Disney+ Hotstar India, said in a press release.
Disney+ Hotstar has the exclusive broadcast and media rights for both linear and digital platforms for the ICC Cricket World Cup.
The company also said in its release that the match on Saturday was a watershed moment for the platform and for digital sports viewership across the country.
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“Asia Cup 2023 has already garnered an overwhelming response from fans, with 28 million viewers for the India vs Pakistan match and 21 million viewers for India vs Sri Lanka.”
Prior to the Indian-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup, Disney+ Hotstar saw its viewership hit a high of 253 million during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final match between India and New Zealand.
Multiplex chain PVR-INOX also screened the match in more than 40 cities across India, including cities such as Mumbai, Delhi-National Capital Region, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Indore, Vadodara, Surat, Guwahati, Goa, Nagpur, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Thiruvananthapuram.
“We have been innovating with our content offerings, and the screening of World Cup matches is a significant milestone in this endeavour,” Gautam Dutta, co-chief executive officer, PVR-INOX, said in a press release.
